SOCIAL workers monitoring Declan Hainey and his cleared killer mum only saw the tragic tot once out of 28 scheduled meetings, it has emerged.

Gillian Turner and her staff were supposed to be keeping an eye on Declan to make sure his mother was looking after him properly while overcoming her heroin addiction.

The care plan meant that Miss Turner's staff should have seen Kimberley and Declan four times a month.

But the team leader yesterday told a fatal accident inquiry that her staff had only seen Declan once out of the 28 times they should have seen him.

And, despite her staff having only seen the tragic tot once in seven months, Miss Turner closed the Haineys' case on August 13, 2009.

Miss Turner told the inquiry yesterday that, despite being a team leader and being in charge of the Haineys' case, she never saw either Kimberley or Declan.

The inquiry heard that Hainey's care plan was supposed to see her have one home visit a fortnight and a visit at the social work department every two weeks.

Hainey cancelled a string of appointments and failed to turn up for others, while Miss Turner's staff failed in several bids to see the pair by turning up to their home in Paisley's Bruce Road unannounced.

When the case was brought to a close in August 2009 - seven months after her team had taken it on - social workers had only seen Declan once.

Addiction workers Linda McCulloch and Jill Stevenson saw Kimberley and Declan at the flat - where Declan was later found dead - in April 2009.

The meeting took place the week after Declan's first birthday and both drug workers were concerned about Declan afterwards, noting that he looked pale.

Miss Turner said that Jill Stevenson was the worker who was supposed to meet Kimberley and Declan four times a month.

And, giving evidence yesterday, Miss Turner said she thought that health visitors Irene Carswell and Katherine Walsh were seeing Declan regularly and liaising with Miss Stevenson about his progress.

And despite Miss Stevenson only having seen Declan once in the seven months, her department were in charge of the case, Miss Turner ended their involvement with the mother and son on August 13, 2009.

Seven months after they closed the case Declan was found dead in his litter-filled cot.

He had lain dead for months and experts told the inquiry that he may have died in September - just a month after Miss Turner took what she described as "a major decision" in closing the book on the Haineys' case.

It emerged yesterday that Miss Turner's decision came at a time when Kimberley Hainey had completed a methadone detox program - and shunned Miss Stevenson over two scheduled appointments.

In spite of Hainey's refusal to allow the social work department access to her and her child, and the lack of a full case summary, they closed the case.

Kimberley was jailed for life for neglecting and murdering him but released last April on appeal.

The inquiry continues at Paisley Sheriff Court.